PRO-LIFE STUDENTS REWARDED BY CATHOLIC SCHOOL; ABORTION GROUPS OBJECT

Catalyst April Issue 2002

A Catholic high school in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Archbishop Wood, is rewarding students with extra-credit for participating in pro-life demonstrations outside a Planned Parenthood clinic. Planned Parenthood and Catholics for a Free Choice are going bonkers.

We told the media that we are delighted with the news that pro-life students at the school are getting extra-credit for their noble efforts. “Those who have a financial or ideological interest in promoting the cause of abortion, such as Planned Parenthood, Catholics for a Free Choice and the Philadelphia Inquirer, are understandably upset,” we said.

Linda Hahn of Planned Parenthood Bucks County said that her clinic has seen “more than a few” students from Archbishop Wood. We responded by asking whether she plans to out them. We took note of the fact that she did not say whether students who attend public, Jewish or Protestant schools frequent her clinic with greater regularity.

Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice said it amounts to “coercion” to give the students extra-credit. In our news release we commented, “She did not say whether it amounts to coercion when pro-choice students are given extra-credit for their efforts.”

We found it more than curious that reporter Matthew Blanchard of the Philadelphia Inquirer described the teacher who is giving the extra-credit, June Littel, as a “morality-class teacher,” and that he called the student club involved in this issue an “antiabortion club.” We informed the media that he was twice wrong. “He did not call the teacher what she is—a theology teacher—and did not call the club by its right name, namely the school’s Pro-Life club,” we said.

It would be great if all Catholic schools rewarded their pro-life students for their efforts.